Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Weather Report: “Sunshine is
delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there’s
really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather” ~John
Ruskin

How we all love to talk about the weather, especially gardeners. And this winter one could say the weather has been particularly unusual. So it is apropos that the Word for Wednesday hosted by Donna at Garden Walk Garden Talk is Weathered. Be sure to link over to read Donna's in depth post on our changing climate as well as to see other interpretations of weathered gardens.

I searched my photo archives for any images I had taken that demonstrate how my garden had been altered in color, texture, composition or form from exposure to weather. It was more challenging than I anticipated. What I did find were some more artistic expressions of "weathered" in nature.

The hosta leaves that were hit by a hard frost earlier this month begin their decay but still provide interesting shapes.

Some old, weathered bird houses in a friends garden have seen better days but provide pops of color.

This picture was taken this summer in Pascagoula,
Mississippi near my in-laws farm. The cypress trees found in the swamps
along the coast provide protection against erosion and flooding in this area. These
forested swamps are like a "speed bump" for the storm surge caused by
hurricanes.

These roots near Falls Park in Greenville,
South Carolina have been exposed from years of erosion and weathering.
People have also left their mark with carved graffiti on the bare roots.
You can check out an interactive image of this Medusa tree here.

I love the creative elements that are naturally produced in gnarled limbs, fallen trees and stumps giving them a worn appearance.

A wasp hive, long abandoned, sits amongst the fallen leaves to decay and return to nature provides some interesting texture to the winterscape.

While the snow and cold altered the structure of the fungi on this fallen tree making them sag and droop giving them a tatty look.

Freezing temperatures created a shear of ice on parts of this flooded area in a Michigan park we visited over our Christmas travels to my family. Living in the south I don't often see both ice and water like this. It is beautiful.

When we visit in summer we spend a lot of time along the Lake Michigan coast which is made up of sand dunes. These dunes are constantly eroding due to winds blowing shoreward at up to 25 mph.

Lichens, fungi, mosses, grasses, wildflowers, shrubs and trees are all part of the dunes ecosystem. These plants have evolved to adapt to the harsh environment. The dune grass helps hold the sand in place and protect from the wind erosion.

This time last year north Georgia was covered in a blanket of snow. December this year has been much milder with temperatures a good 10 degrees or higher than average. These extremes really create unpredictable conditions for plants. I have plants blooming already that under normal conditions don't bloom until February.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

It is hard to believe that it already mid-December and the last Garden Blogger's Bloom Day post for 2011. December has been a rather mild month with only two hard frosts. That was enough to put down most of the blooming plants for the winter but taking a walk through my garden this morning revealed some interesting finds.

The creeping phlox seem to be a little baffled by our mild weather. Normally spring blooming, the phlox have started to bloom early. A heavy dew had them sparkling in the morning light. Almost as if they were decorated for the holidays.

Hellebore are also blooming earlier than normal. They usually show their faces in late January to early February. But we have been enjoying temps in the low 70's this week! So they decided to have an early show. According to the Farmer's Almanac we were at 39.2 last year. What a difference a year makes!

The Coral Bark Maple is particularly intense this month with its very deep coral color.

The Oriental Paper Bush (Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Winter Gold') is new to my garden this year. I am looking forward to seeing the blooms open around mid-January to early April. In the meantime I am enjoying their spectacular large silvery buds. They hang like ornaments on a tree.

The euphorbia and creeping begonia are looking very festive with their red and green tones.

The tropical milkweed is putting out presents. The pods are
opening to reveal many brown seeds. The fluffy floss is
spectacular when the light reflects on the filaments and the
morning dew drops hang onto the ends of the hairs. These gifts of nature will blow where they may.

And lastly, I really love the browns of the dried hydrangea 'silver dollar' blooms. They are just splendid in every season.

You can enjoy other December gardens from all over the globe by linking over to May Dreams Gardens.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Citrus fruit is a staple in our household. We use them in cooking, decorating, gift giving,
beverages, as aromatherapy, and simply eating. A new addition to our palate is
Calamondin, a citrus plant originating in China and introduced to the United
States as an “acid orange” in the 1900's. Hybrids between citrus
subspecies have been cultivated for so long it is sometimes hard to know the
species exact origins but it is believed by horticulturists that the Calamondin
is a hybrid of lime and either mandarin or kumquat.

We purchased our tree two years ago. We keep it in a pot so that it can easily be moved to the right location. The plant is hardy up to 20
degrees F so it does need to be brought inside over winter and placed in a well
lit area. Ours started fruiting just before our first hard frost hit and we brought it
indoors and keep it in our potting room in front of a large window.

In the United States
Calamondin is grown mostly as an ornamental as it makes a great patio plant but
the juice can also be used as you would lemon or lime...in beverages, to flavor
fish and meats, teas, cakes, preserves, pies and sauces. It is deliciously tart!

During warm months we place
it outside in direct sunlight or half shade. It grows best in temperatures
between 70 to 90 degrees F.

The tree can produce blooms
year-round in the right environment and it can be blooming and have fruit at
the same time. The blooms are incredibly fragrant. The fruit is green to start and as it matures it turns orange. The fruit is most abundant from November to June. The bees and
butterflies love the nectar and fragrance of the blooms too!

The fruit also has some
medicinal qualities. You can rub the juice on insect bites and it will stop the
itching and irritation. The juice can be extracted and saved in ice cube trays
covered with a plastic bag for later use. But for this year it looks like we will have ripe fruit for our holiday cheer!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Thirty Days of Giving Thanks has come to an end. This has been a wonderful experience for me. The days passed a little more slowly as I savored the special moments each day. As I focused on my November garden I became more aware of the often overlooked and perhaps under appreciated things in my garden. It also gave me time to reflect on all the wonderful people in my life and all the joy they bring.

Today, I want to give a special shout out to my wonderful gardening partner, my husband. I am so fortunate that he shares my love for gardening and the outdoors. Without him our gardens wouldn't be what they are.

He has cleared all the underbrush from our wooded lot so that we actually have a place to garden; he digs the holes for all the plants in our rock hard clay, and lays all the hardscaping. He is much better at envisioning the garden design than I am. He was the brains behind the woodland garden beds and paths, installed the wall between the orchard and the vegetable garden, built the raised beds for the kitchen garden and planted all the trees. Not to mention all the regular maintenance like mowing, laying mulch, trimming and pruning. The list goes on and on…I am so blessed that he shares my passion and together we create our special retreat.

A huge thank you to everyone who has visited my blog and provided their support, thoughts and comments and shared in my journey. I am grateful for all the inspiration, advice, creativity and passion for the natural world and gardening that you provide. xo!

And, a special thanks to Cat at The Whimsical Gardener for hosting this inspirational challenge! It has been fun!

Welcome to Southern Meadows

At Southern Meadows we garden for wildlife. Located in northeast Georgia in eco-region 231 (Southeasst Mixed Forest Province) / zone 8a on 10 acres of meadow and forest habitat. I’m Karin, gardener, photographer and writer. I hope you enjoy a little taste of Georgia and will come back and visit often. xo!

Follow by Email

Translate

NABA Butterfly Count

The NABA Memorial Day Count (in the United States) will be held May 27-29, 2017. All you need to do is to observe butterflies at one or more of your favorite butterflying localities (such as your own backyard) this coming Memorial Day weekend and note what butterflies you’ve seen. There are no requirements regarding how much time or area you cover. Then go to the NABA web site, www.naba.org, and from there to the Recent Sightings (sightings.naba.org) web page and enter your report, filling in the location, date, and butterflies seen.